Hopefully Sunday will continue in the usual friendly fashion
In all the furore over the recent chants aimed at Liverpool fans and the collective media clamour to have United fans burned at the stake, the matter of actual football seems to have been forgotten.
Everyone with an opinion and the means to share it- so basically anyone- has been sticking the knife into the entire United fan base as though we’re all the devil incarnate no longer worthy of sharing oxygen with the rest of the human race.
The whole chant-gate saga has overshadowed one small part of the upcoming trip to Anfield – a tiny facet that may go unnoticed as the press clamour to heap insult after insult at all United fans and no I’m not talking about the Evra/Suarez handshake.
The game of football that will take place on the Anfield pitch almost seems to have been banished from the thoughts of many as the focus shifts to taunts, threats and even planned tributes. While there seems little chance of any of the fallout from last weekend- or even last season if we look at the Suarez/Evra spat- abating, it’s worth noting that when it comes to eleven men against eleven men, United have arguably never been in a better position to take all three points at Anfield with relative ease.
Liverpool are a team in transition enduring the worst start they’ve had in modern history, with only a home draw against Manchester City and a point at Sunderland giving Brendan Rodgers side anything to really cheer about. United obviously haven’t had it all plain sailing with an opening season loss to Everton at Goodison giving everyone a reminder that simply buying free-scoring Dutchmen doesn’t guarantee victory.
Liverpool have struggled this season though and are extremely light up front with Luis Suarez being their only real threat. There’s also been rumblings even from one or two Liverpool fans themselves that Steven Gerrard may not be adapting to Brendan Rodgers style of play.
With Tom Cleverley, Shinji Kagawa, Robin Van Persie, all showing great early season form, Paul Scholes dominating matches, Danny Welbeck putting in a great performance in the Wigan game, not to mention the fact we’ve finally got something resembling a fully fit back four, there’s every reason we can come away from Anfield with all three points without too much difficulty.
We know Liverpool will be up for it and the whole chanting episode will no doubt add to the drama of the occasion but let’s not forget that we’re talking about a side that will do well to finish in the top eight this season, facing one of the strongest United sides there’s been in recent years. There really are no excuses for anything less…..
Am I being over-confident? Will Liverpool rise to the occasion? Is this an easy three points? Feel free to comment suggest or abuse below:
Liverpools cup final.
Standard. Every season.
They raise their game for this match, and this match only.